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Innocent
wherein lies the tragedy of the whole situation.
persons with no thought of using drugs, are being forced into
the habit so as to provide a wider clientele for these drug
vendors, which in turn mean larger sales and bigger profits.
In the same way, the smuggling of drugs from abroad, is stim-
ulated and encouraged to an extent hitherto unknown in this
locality. Japanese ships in the past year have been particular
offenders in this respect, and large amounts of drugs have been
taken from these vessels. What amount has been successfully
entered into the country, is of course an unknown factor.
British ships coming into this port, have so far escaped any
imputation as vehicles for the introduction of narcotics, but
this I think is primarily due to the fact that very few
British vessels come to this port from the Orient, where the
centre of the drug traffic is situated, I am sorry to say,
however, that several infractions of this character on British
vessels of the Blue Funnel Line, have occurred in Seattle,
during the past year, where considerable quantities of drugs
were attempted to be smuggled into the country, by members of
the crew,.
I reported these facts to the Board of Trade, in
the hopes that by summary punishment this pernicious traffic
would be stopped, but I have received no report of the action
taken, and in the mean time, these infractions of the law
continue.
The above facts demonstrate the menace now confronting
the Pacific Coast, and explain the reason for calling the
Narcotics Conference in Portland, above referred to. They in
no wise, however, justify the allegations made at this
Conference, by Mayor Baker and Dr. Andrew C. Smith, on Great
Britain's official participation in this drug traffic, which
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